Wow..what fun! I taught a “combined” applique class in Bangor on Saturday, Dec. 10th. We didn’t have enough for either the Intro applique (using the Blue Gingko pattern) or the Balinese Garden, but if we combined both (Manager Debbie’s brilliant idea–she’s up near the front of the shop in the first photo) we could have a class “go.” So we did, and it worked! I wouldn’t want to do that with more than six or so students, but we had a ball. Here’s a picture looking from the back of the store (Cote Brothers on Stillwater in Bangor, Maine) toward the front.

It was SO much fun to see Emma and Kathy again, and meet new students Sheila, Susan, Heather and Pauline. It was a total gas to see folks interpret my pattern in wasy I would never have imagined, so I decided to share:

Here is Susan’s gingko leaf—Susan wanted to learn how to machine applique, and I think she’s well on her way. We did fused and satin-stitched, hand-look by machine (i.e. freezer paper underneath) and Jane Sassaman’s method of stiff interfacing underneat (looks like hand-look, but with crisp distinct edges…Jane’s book the Quilted Garden seems to be my guidebook!)

Emma and her friend Heather came together…Emma is new to quilting, but has been garment making for years. She’s a natural at machine quilting, and she’s proving to be just as good at applique. She auditioned two background fabrics…one looks like a stone walls, another like a weathered wood fence. She opted for the stone wall, and we tweaked the pattern to use the entire fat quarter and have her flowers climbing the stone garden wall…way fun!

Heather used a square of wonderful pale blue and lilac and had a garden of riotous color….

I had never even thought of using wools, but Pauline used hand-dyed wools for this piece, which I can’t WAIT to see finished! It’s going to be wonderful. Fusing the wool was challenging, but all the pieces end up stiched, so it will be OK.

Somehow Kathy and Sheila, who were both using flannels, managed to escape before I snapped pictures, so I hope to catch up with them next year and see the finished (or at least in-progress) top!

Had a bit of fun on Sunday…. I need to make some Christmas gifts, so decided to make them. I took some of my hand-dyed fabric:

And then played with some rubbing thingamadobobs that I bought at Festival in Houston a year ago…what are they called? Made of plastic, used by elementary school kids to make crayon rubbings? Anyway, I have a package of “animal skins” and one of “leaves.” If you use the back side of the animal skin, this was some sort of reptile skin, you get a bark-look, so I used that on the teal with ultramarine Shiva paintstik.

I wanted to pull the two colors together, so I also used an iridescent blue on the purple fabric. The leaves are done with those doo-hickies, and used a bit of rug gripper (the rubberized stuff you put under carpets to prevent them from slipping all over) for the grid. Now I just have to MAKE something out of these. Plan A, a “swirl” bag, isn’t going to work. Made one out of different fabric for my mom, and the pieces are too short. Drat. Working on plan B–will let you know what happens.

And now for something totally ridiculous:

Although the hat is kid-sized, as soon as I saw it last December, I knew I had to have it. It was Dec. 22 or 23rd. I asked the store to put it on hold, drove home, and told my husband he *had* to get me this hat for Christmas! He did ….smart hubby!

I’ve threatened the kids that I will wear it out in public. But I also bought some black polartec so that I can open up a couple of seams….it’s pretty tight. It is made of black stretch velvet, lined, and has these cool horn things in a fabric that I’ve never seen in a store. If ANYone has an idea where we can buy this stuff, let me know!!!! It’s sorta crunchy sounding when you squish it-sounds almost like tissue paper. I could have fun using that “fabric” in my quilts……reflections on water, sparkly bits……..

Teehee! Running and ducking for cover!

There are days when you just need to say to heck with the diet. Day before yesterday I officially hit the halfway point: 14 pounds off, 14 to go (and if a few more want to go besides, that’s OK by me, too). Joshua had been asking if we could make doughnuts at home, so today was the day.

Boynton McKay, an eatery on the single main block of Camden, with latte’s, great wraps, this and that to eat, has heavenly doughnuts. I’d been trying to figure out the flavors so I asked the head cook a while back….I’d identified cinnamon and nutmeg, maybe cardamom (a favorite “secret” ingredient of mine), and thought it was lemon zest. I was close…no cardamom, and it was buttermilk, not lemon zest that gave it the tangy flavor. So, I hauled out my King Arthur’s Flour baker’s cookbook (and which I’d noticed on the shelf at Boynton McKay). PRESTO! It was the exact recipe with buttermilk, cinnamon and nutmeg. Of course, I added 1/8 tsp. cardamom, too. They boys even liked the dough–which is one part whole wheat flour, three parts white flour, butter, brown sugar, egg and spices, salt, and baking soda (or was it powder?). Here’s phase 1–mixing:

We rolled out the dough and used cookie cutters to cut the donuts and the holes. With 20-20 hindsight, I need a larger cutter and hole cutter. Then, you deep-fry the dough; oil must be at 365 degrees, so I used the candy thermometer. Also almost melted the melamine skimmer, so had to use tongs to retrieve the fried donuts—will have to buy a metal skimmer (the kind the Chinese use is my favorite but I’ve never had one…) for next time.

Then the boys wanted glazed, so mixed some powdered sugar with a tiny bit of milk. Then you either dredge the donut or roll the holes. Finally, set on plate, then inhale.

I used to make donuts when I was about 5 at my Gramma’s house…my cousin Anne and I would eat the holes…yummmm! Back in the mid-60s, you could buy donuts in a roll in the refrigerator case (you know, where you buy crescent rolls and breakfast rolls now), so we made those. It has been more than 4 decades, but I still remembered how! And now Joshua wants to start a new family tradition…donuts! YEAH!

There is hope….the other day my oldest son, aged 12, called me over: Mom, look! He was enchanted by the swirls in his hot cocoa…yep, that’s my boy!